Apparatus for playing a race or sports game



May 1934. H. T. BROOKER ET AL ,958,563

APPARATUS FOR PLAYING A RACE OR SPORTS GAME Filed Jan. 13, 1953 2Sheets-Sheet 1 y 1934- H. 'r. B'ROOKER ET AL 1,958,563

APPARATUS FOR PLAYING A RACE OR SPORTS GAME Filed Jan. 13, 1935 2Sheets-Sheet 2 2 /1 JZMM 494mm BY W/FWEY 7 4014, @M M MW Patented May15, 1934 APPARATUS FOR PLAYING A RACE R SPORTS GAME Henry ThomasBrooker, Southend-on-Sea, and Leslie Edward Williams, Forty Hill,Enfield,

England Application January 13, 1933, Serial No. 651,548 In GreatBritain January 20, 1932 9 Claims.

The present invention relates to an improved apparatus for playing arace or sports game, particularly suited for parlour, table, amusementpark, fair, or like use.

The apparatus is of the kind in which a series of travellers, each in oron a track or guideway and free for movement thereon, are advanced alongthe tracks towards an appertaining target or indicator by a series ofintermittent thrusts 0 imparted by an actuating device.

Hitherto the intermittent thrusts have been imparted by an actuatingdevice through the mediation of a freely moving propelling unit.

According to the present invention the intermittent thrusts are impartedto each propelling unit by an independent actuating device, whereby, forexample, two or more players may 0ppose each other, and each haveindependent control over the magnitude and period of the series ofintermittent thrusts to be imparted to the propelling unit alloted tothe player.

In this connection the actuating means may be of such a character thatthe propelling unit suffers a rebound on its return to the playing position and one or more strokes may be lost or only weakly made.

In one embodiment under the present invention the actuating means, thetrack and its traveller, and a target or indicator designed to beoperated when the traveller has completed its journey, may constitute acomplete unit. The traveller may be propelled along the track to afinishing station or goal only. This unit may have a depending pivot ator adjacent the winning post end of the track for pivotally mountingsuch end of the track in a base round the margin of which in spacedrelation may be pivoted other like tracks, the height of the base and/ora shoulder on the pivot being so chosen as to give a desirable slope tothe track, the

starting end of which with the actuating means may be attached to a flatbase for steadily supporting the starting end of the track.

The indicator may be at a distance from the winning end of the track,but interrelated with means at the end of the track, as for example bymechanical or electrical devices, as to give an indication when thetraveller has completed its journey.

According to another embodiment of the'present invention apparatus isprovided by which an object, for example, an object representing a hare;may be caused to move along a track or path, as for example to revolvein a horizontal plane, and travelling members under the control ofdifferent players may be caused to be advanced towards different placesin the path of the moving object for the purpose of arresting this andscoring a win for that player who is successful in doing so.

In order to provide for the arrest of the object without shock, anotherfeature of the present invention consists in mounting the object upon alight rotating support so connected for friction drive from a drivingmember that only a small resistance will suffice to arrest the ob: jectwithout necessitating the stopping of the driving member.

In the accompanying drawings there are shown examples of apparatus madeaccording to the present invention. 1 i

Fig. l is a plan View, and Fig. 2 a side view of apparatus in which thetraveller is designed to operate a target or indicator on the completionof its journey.

Fig. 3 is a plan view, and Fig. 4 a side view of apparatus in which thetraveller is designed to arrest a revolving object when the travellerhas completed its journey.

Fig. 5 is a part side view of the indicator end of the track referred toin Fig. 1'.

Fig. 6 is a similar view to Fig. 5 showing the indicator raised.

Fig. 7 is an end view of the indicator in Fig. 6 looking in thedirection of the arrow A.

Fig. 8 is a side view of the impellihg end of the track, and Fig. 9asection across the track.

In referring to the drawings it is to be noted in Figs. 2 and 4 that thetrack is shown broken and the impelling end of the track ata lowerlevel, so as to enable the device to' be illustrated within theallowable dimensions of the drawings.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1, 2, and. 9, of the accompanyingdrawings, there is provided a channel shaped track 1 having overhangingedges 2 and provided at the finishing or winning end of the track with adepending pivot- 3 for pivotally mounting such end'; of the track insockets 4a at the margin 4 of a base 5 around which margin in spacedrelation may be pivoted like race tracks.

The height of such base 5 or a shoulder 6 on the pivot 3 determines theslope of the track 1, assuming that the impelling end of the track issupported at the same ground level as the base 5'.

Conveniently and advantageously the pivot 3 is itself pivoted by ahorizontal pin 7 thro'ugh the winning or finishing end of the track, and

' a shoulder 28 of the hub 29 of the fly-wheel 25 on such pin '7 atarget may be pivotally mounted as hereinafter described.

In one constructional form the pivot at the winning or finishing postend of the track 1 is conveniently made of folded metal with a forkingat the upper end for pivotal attachment to the track by the pin 7, andsuch pin .7 may also form the pivot for the target. To form the shoulder6 to seat against the base, a sleeve 15 is mounted on the pivot 3 by apush fit.

The impelling end of the track consists of a base 8 for steadilysupporting such impelling end of the track, and the actuating meanspreferably takes the form of a bow-spring 9 under the free end 10 ofwhich a steel or glass or other suitable ball 11 is adapted to bebrought to rest by a stop 12 in such a position that on pressing the bowspring 9 downwardly its free end 10 slidingly flexes over the ball 11moving slowly at first and then suddenly pressing downwards with a snap,and imparting an impulse to the ball 11 which gives it a sharppropulsive thrust towards a traveller 13.

The before mentioned stop 12 may be a blade spring which may be formedby slitting the lower member of the bow spring 9 to free a medialportion thereof for such service.

Buttons or the like 14 are attached to the top of the bow spring 9 forconvenience in pressing thereon with the ball of a finger or thumb.

The traveller 13 may take divers forms, that shown being a model of anautomobile mounted on a base 16 which may be in the form of arectangular box-like structure on which the model 13 is mounted, andhaving a slipper guide 1'7 which extends beyond the overhangs 2 andprevents withdrawal of the traveller in an upward direction.

The target or indicator may be in the form of a flat post 18 mounted onthe horizontal pivot '7 and so arranged that when lying down it presentsan arm 19 in the path of a leading portion 20 of the traveller 13 sothat when this has been propelled for a certain distance along thetrack, the leading portion 20 of the traveller strikes such arm 19 andraises the target or indicator to a vertical position, in which positiona stop 21 (which may serve as a counter-weight) on the target is opposedto a shoulder 22 on the traveller 13 and arrests the traveller at thewinning post end of the track.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 3 and 4 in which likereferences indicate like parts to the construction already describedwith reference to Figs. 1 and 2, the target at the winning post end ofthe track is now replaced, in the particular constructional form now tobe described, by a revolving object, which in the example shown is themodel 23 of a hare.

This is mounted upon a light diametral bar or arm 24, and this bar orarm 24 is arranged to be revolved by frictional reaction thereof fordrive with a driving wheel 25 shown as a handspun fly-wheel.

Conveniently and advantageously, the driving wheel 25 is a fly-wheelhaving at its centre a cap 26 which is supported on the sharp point orreduced end of a pivot post 27. As stated previously the support is alight diametral bar or arm 24 arranged to rest loosely by its own weighton and/or a raised marginal rim 30 thereof, so that the frictionalreaction for drive between the flywheel 25 and the diametral arm or bar24 is produced merely by the weight of the bar or arm and the object 23carried at one end thereby and a balance weight or compensator 31 forthe object arranged at the other end of the bar or arm. A resilientwasher, e. g., a felt washer may be interposed between the bar or armand its support.

The cap 26 forms a convenient finger knob whereby to spin the fiy-wheel25 by finger action, but in certain cases the driving wheel may be powerdriven.

For hand manipulation, the diameter of the cap 26 and the weight of thefly-wheel 25 are so chosen as to favour a more sustained comparativelyslow speed of rotation rather than a less sustained comparatively fastspeed of rotation.

The travellers 13 in Figs. 3 and 4 each of which may comprise arectangular box-like structure 16 on which a small model of a racinggreyhound 32 is mounted, are adapted to be advanced along the track 1 asbefore described, a leg or the head of the racing greyhound 32 beingadapted, when advanced to the raised end of the track 1, to project intothe path of the revolving hare 23 'to intercept this and/or interlocktherewith.

The raised end of the track is provided with a stop 33, and thecorresponding end of the hollow base of the racing greyhound isconstructed to act as an elastic member so that if the travellercontacts too heavily with the stop, the traveller rebounds and suffers aset back which prevents it from stopping in a position in which it canarrest the hare, although it may have temporarily contacted therewith,but the fly-wheel continuing to rotate will again carry on the hareafter the rebound of the traveller.

Instead of the spring member being on the traveller the stop 33 providedat the raised end of the track may as shown serve to give the elasticrebound.

As soon as the energy imparted to the ball is exhausted, the ballreturns by reason of the slope of the track and then by striking thestop below the bow spring rebounds somewhat up the track, in whichmovement the bow spring may be operated without any thrust beingimparted to the ball, or with a thrust of lesser magnitude than if thebow spring is actuated after the ball has come to rest against the stop.I

With apparatus under the present invention it is possible to provide abase which is marginally provided with a greater number of pivotbearings than race tracks supplied, so that a purchaser can commencewith a centre piece and two or three tracks and then add other tracks ifdesired subsequently.

' The apparatus permits of extremely economical mass manufacture, themajor components being adapted to be made from stampings. Moreover theassemblage of the various components does not call for skilledassemblers, and a certain degree of individual skill is introduced intothe game.

Each traveller may be advanced along its track by a series ofintermittent thrusts imparted by an appertaining actuating device sothat two or more players may oppose each other and each have independentcontrol over the magnitude and period of the series of intermittentthrusts imparted through the mediation of the freely moving propellingunit allotted to the player.

In a modification the actuating means may include a rotating camoperated by a hand crank for flexing the bow spring. Or, otherwise theactuating means may take the form of a plunger which may be actuated bythe recoil of a spring.

As many embodiments of the present invention may be made, and as theparts herein described may be varied in many ways all without departingfrom the scope of the invention, it is to be understood that all matterherein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to beinterpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What we claim is:-

1. Game playing apparatus comprising a plurality of tracks, a supportcommon to such tracks, the tracks sloping to one end, a depending memberat the finishing end of each track for mounting this on the support,said member being pivoted by a pin to the finishing end of the track, acorresponding series of units mounted capable of propulsion along thetracks, an actuating device in each track for imparting intermittentthrusts to the unit therein to propel it therealong, the actuatingdevices being returned by gravity along the tracks after impact,independent means in each track for intermittently impelling theactuating devices, and a target at the finishing end of each trackadapted to be engaged by the unit in said track as it completes itsallotted distance of travel, said target being pivoted on the aforesaidpin.

2. Game playing apparatus comprising a plurality of tracks, a raisedsupport common to such tracks, the tracks sloping to one end, acorresponding series of units mounted capable of propulsion along thetracks, an actuating device in each track for imparting intermittentthrusts to the unit therein to propel it therealong, the actuatingdevices being returned by gravity along the sloping tracks after impact,independent means in the form of a bow spring in each track forintermittently impelling the actuating devices, a stop in each trackagainst which the actuating device is brought to rest, said stop beingin the form of a blade spring made by slitting the lower member of saidbow spring and indicating means at the finishing end of the tracksadapted to be engaged by a unit as it completes its alloted distance oftravel.

3. Game playing apparatus, comprising in combination, an object movingalong a path, a plurality of tracks leading to different places in saidpath, travelling members for said tracks under the control of differentplayers, and means for advancing said travelling members along thetracks for the purpose of arresting the movement of said object.

4. Game playing apparatus comprising in combination, an object movingalong a path, a plurality of sloping tracks leading to different placesin said path, travelling members in said tracks under the control ofdiiferent players, an actuating device in each track for impartingintermittent thrusts to the traveller therein to propel it therealongfor the purpose of arresting the movement of said object when thetraveller reaches the finishing end of the track, said actuating devicesbeing returned by gravity along the sloping tracks after impact, andmeans for intermittently impelling the actuating devices.

5. Game playing apparatus comprising a driving wheel, a member carryinga model, said member being revolved by frictional reaction with saiddriving wheel, a plurality of tracks leading to different places in thepath of the revolving model, a raised support common to such tracks, thetracks sloping to one end, a corresponding series of units mountedcapable of propulsion along the tracks and arresting the movement ofsaid model when at the finishing ends of the tracks, an actuating devicein each track for imparting intermittent thrusts to the unit therein topropel it therealong, the actuating devices being returned by gravityalong the sloping tracks after impact, and/independent means in eachtrack for intermittently impelling the actuating devices.

6. Game playing apparatus, comprising a hand-spun fly-wheel, a diametralbar carrying a model, said bar being revolved by frictional reactionwith said fiy-wheel, a plurality of tracks leading to different placesin the path of the revolving model, travellers for said tracks, andmeans for advancing said travellers along the tracks for the purpose ofarresting the movement of said model when the said travellers reach thefinishing ends of the tracks.

'7. Game playing apparatus comprising a plurality of channel shapedtracks having overhanging edges, a raised support common to such tracks,the tracks sloping to one end, means for mounting the tracks in spacedrelation on said support a corresponding series of units mounted capableof propulsion along the tracks, an actuating device in each track forimparting intermittent thrusts to the unit therein to propel ittherealong, the actuating devices being returned by gravity along thesloping tracks after impact, a spring device at the impelling end ofeach track 105 for intermittently impelling the actuating devices, abase for supporting the said impelling end of each track, and a targetat the finishing end of each track adapted to be moved to indicatingposition by a unit as it completes its allotted distance of travel.

8. Game playing apparatus comprising a support, a hand-spun fly-wheelmounted thereon, a diametral arm carrying a model, said arm being drivenfrom said fly-wheel by frictional reaction, a plurality of channelshaped tracks having overhanging edges, means for mounting the tracks inspaced relation on said support, the tracks sloping to one end, acorresponding series of units mounted capable of propulsion along thetracks, an actuating device in each track for imparting intermittentthrusts to the unit therein to propel it therealong, the actuatingdevices being returned by gravity along the sloping tracks after impact,a spring device at the impelling end of 125 each track forintermittently impelling the actuating devices, and a base forsupporting the said impelling end of each track, the said model havingits movement arrested by being engaged by a unit as this completes itsallotted distance of travel.

9. Game playing apparatus comprising a plurality of tracks, the tracksin use sloping toone end, a corresponding series of units mountedcapable of propulsion along the tracks, means for preventing sidewisemovement of the units in said tracks, an actuating device in each trackfor imparting intermittent thrusts to the unit therein to propel ittherealong, the actuating devices being returned by gravity along thetracks after impact, independent manually operated mechanical means ineach track for intermittently impelling the actuating devices, and meansat the finishing end of the tracks adapted to be engaged by a unit as itcompletes its allotted dis- 145 tance of travel for giving anindication.

HENRY THOMAS BROOKER. LESLIE EDWARD WILLIAMS.

